Wholesome News Hour: Gordon Ramsay’s new restaurant, Pharrell’s generosity, and mermaid makeover

Good news is still news! Dogwood’s wholesome news hour is a quick refresh from the day’s hard news, celebrating some of the positive things happening throughout Virginia. Today, we’re highlighting three pieces of good news directly from the commonwealth.

Gordon Ramsey to open his first Virginia restaurant

Look out Danville! Because Michelin-star chef Gordon Ramsay is opening his first Virginia restaurant. 

This new eatery will be located in Caesars Virginia, a new casino resort that will open this year.

The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and will incorporate familiar flavors for the commonwealth, along with Ramsay’s classic dishes. 

The move to the #ComebackCity continues Ramsay’s ongoing partnership with Caesars Entertainment, which also includes restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Atlantic City, New Jersey. 

Some menu items to look forward to are the beef wellington, jumbo lump crabcakes, vanilla mascarpone cheesecake, and much more. 

Pharrell donates sneakers to his childhood neighborhood

The residents of Atlantis Apartments recently welcomed a special guest when recording artist and producer Pharrell Williams visited the neighborhood.

During the weekend of his canceled Something in the Water Festival, Williams stopped by his old neighborhood to give away sneakers and LEGO sets ahead of his LEGO film, Piece by Piece, release. 

Williams gave a short speech, and toward the end, he stated his intent to build a pool in his former complex. 

The Virginia Zoo gets a new mermaid

The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk unveiled a new mermaid for the first time in decades.

The mermaid became the mascot for the City of Norfolk in the 1990s, and the symbol appears in front of many important buildings throughout the city. The Virginia Zoo is no exception; they received their mermaid in 1999 and had only refreshed the statue in 2010 due to wear and tear. 

However, in June of this year, the zoo sent out a call to local artists to create a new mermaid. The zoo reviewed many proposed sketches, and a special design caught their eye.

Bob Langston, a resident of Virginia Beach, became the artist for the job. Langston’s sketch stood out to the zoo’s administration, as it captured the essence of the zoo and the city’s revered symbol. 

The new mermaid made her debut in early October, so be sure to give her and the Virginia Zoo a visit.